6 September 2016 - EASILY CONFUSED WORDS

EASILY CONFUSED WORDS

G'day folks,

We all have certain words that make us stumble. Check out these regular problem words.

allusion / illusion

Allusion is a noun that means an indirect reference: “The speech made allusions to the final report.” 

Illusion is a noun that means a misconception: “The policy is designed to give an illusion of reform.” 

alternately / alternatively 

Alternatively is an adverb that means on the other hand; one or the other: “You can choose a large bookcase or, alternatively, you can buy two small ones.”

amusement park / theme park

An amusement park, a noun, is a place where people go to have fun. It has games, food, rides, and shows for entertainment.

A theme park, a noun, is an amusement park with a theme, a subject that everything in the park has in common. The rides, games, and shows all deal with this subject in some way. At Disney World, a famous theme park, everything has some connection to the Disney characters.

beside / besides

Beside is a preposition that means next to: “Stand here beside me. ”

Besides is an adverb that means also: “Besides, I need to tell you about the new products my company offers.”

bimonthly / semimonthly

Bimonthly is an adjective that means every two months: “I brought the cake for the bimonthly office party.” Bimonthly is also a noun that means a publication issued every two months: “The bimonthly magazine will soon become a monthly publication.”

Semimonthly is an adjective that means happening twice a month: “We have semimonthly meetings on the 1st and the 15th.”

cite / site

Cite is a verb that means to quote as an authority or example: “I cited several eminent scholars in my study of water resources.” It also means to recognize formally: “The public official was cited for service to the city.” It can also mean to summon before a court of law: “Last year the company was cited for pollution violations.” 

Site is a noun meaning location: “They chose a new site for the factory just outside town.”

cologne / perfume

Cologne, a noun, is a scented liquid made from alcohol and fragrant oils.

Perfume, a noun, is a quickly evaporating scented oil either obtained from flowers or manmade. It is more concentrated (stronger) and much more expensive than cologne.

complement / compliment

Complement is a noun or verb that means something that completes or makes up a whole: “The red sweater is a perfect complement to the outfit.”

Compliment is a noun or verb that means an expression of praise or admiration: “I received many compliments about my new outfit.”

concurrent / consecutive

Concurrent is an adjective that means simultaneous or happening at the same time as something else: “The concurrent strikes of several unions crippled the economy.” 

Consecutive means successive or following one after the other: “The union called three consecutive strikes in one year.”

connote / denote

Connote is a verb that means to imply or suggest: “The word ‘espionage’ connotes mystery and intrigue.” 

Denote is a verb that means to indicate or refer to specifically: “The symbol for ‘pi’ denotes the number 3.14159.”

dinner / supper

Dinner, a noun, is always the main meal of the day, whether it is eaten at noon or in the evening.

Supper, a noun, is eaten only in the evening, whether it is a large or small meal.

Clancy's comment: Hope this has helped.

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25 September 2016 - EASILY CONFUSED WORDS

EASILY CONFUSED WORDS

G'day folks,

Here are some more of those words that sometimes trip people up.

discreet / discrete

Discreet is an adjective that means prudent, circumspect, or modest: “Their discreet comments about the negotiations led the reporters to expect an early settlement.” 

Discrete is an adjective that means separate or individually distinct: “Each company in the conglomerate operates as a discrete entity.”

disinterested / uninterested

Disinterested is an adjective that means unbiased or impartial: “We appealed to the disinterested mediator to facilitate the negotiations.” 

Uninterested is an adjective that means not interested or indifferent: “They seemed uninterested in our offer.”

dough / batter

Dough, a noun, is a thick mixture of flour, liquid, and other ingredients that is usually rolled or shaped into bread and other baked goods.

Batter, a noun, is a thinner mixture than dough and is made of flour and liquid. Batter can be poured into pans to make pancakes, biscuits, and cakes.

Earth / universe

Earth the planet on which we live, is the third planet from the sun in our solar system.

The universe includes everything that exists, including all the planets, the stars, and space.

emigrant / immigrant / migrant 

Emigrant is a noun that means one who leaves one's native country to settle in another: “The emigrants spent four weeks aboard ship before landing in Los Angeles.”

Immigrant is a noun that means one who enters and settles in a new country: “Most of the immigrants easily found jobs.” 

Migrant is a noun that means one who travels from one region to another, especially in search of work: “The migrants worked in the strawberry fields on the west coast, then traveled east to harvest wheat.”

envy / jealousy

Envy, a noun, is the desire to have something that another person has and the feelings of resentment or unhappiness at the person's having it. For example, you may feel envy when someone you know gets something you've always wanted.

Jealousy, a noun, is like envy but includes suspicion. Jealousy is often associated with competition, especially in love. Sometimes you may be jealous of a brother or sister because you think your parents love him or her more than they love you.

farther / further

Farther is an adjective and adverb that means to or at a more distant point: “We drove 50 miles today; tomorrow, we will travel 100 miles farther.”

Further is an adjective and adverb that means to or at a greater extent or degree: “We won't be able to suggest a solution until we are further along in our evaluation of the problem.” It can also mean in addition or moreover: “They stated further that they would not change the policy.”

few / less

Few is an adjective that means small in number. It is used with countable objects: “This department has few employees.”

Less is an adjective that means small in amount or degree. It is used with objects of indivisible mass: “Which jar holds less water?”

Clancy's comment: Yep, we all have problems with these lil blighters.

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